Jet propelled toy boat



Jan. 16, 1951 u c, YATES ET AL 2,538,347

JET PROPELLED TOY BOAT Filed April 23, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor C YIPIL. J )447'55 POBE/PT f1. 6/555 ttorrleys c. J. YATES ET AL 2,538,347

JET PROPELLED TOY BOAT Jan. 16, 1951 Filed April 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a tf f.

1i 7; *i 1\i i2 7 g /3 25!! 4 lure/liar 630?. J YA nss Patented Jan. 16, 1951 OFFICE JET PROPELLED TOY BOAT Cyril J. Yates, Henderson, Ky., and Robert K. Qilibs, Evansville, Ind.

Application April 23, 1946, Serial No. 664,270

Claims. (01. 469-95) This invention relates to jet propelled boats, and more particularly to a jet propelled toy boat in which the hull is designed to contain a fluid such as water and forms a mixing chamber in connection with a chemical or suitable mixture which effervesces in contact with the fluid or water, to produce a gas for propelling the boat for an extended period, as compared to the short periods for which devices now on the market operate.

Another object of the invention is to provide a jet propelled toy boat, preferably made of plastic, to provide a hull and a sealed cover in the form of a deck and cabin providing an absolutely air-tight chamber for mixing a chemical with the fluid, such as water, and means for holding the chemical to dip in the water, and provide a gas chamber and exhaust orifice by which the gas is caused to escape or bubble through the fluid or water in a manner to be controlled before its discharge through the orifice into the water in which the boat floats, so as to exert pressure against said water to propel the boat therethrough, thus travelling through the water under its own power.

Another object of the invention is to provide a jet propelled toy boat which may be cheaply and economically made of plastic so as to be sealed against the escape of water and gas therefrom, the hull forming a chamber for containing water and a mixing chamber, while the topolosure or deck thereof is designed to contain a hol ow stopper to hold the proper amount of chemical in removable and renewable form, so that the supply of the chemical or effervescent mixture which forms the propellant inside the hull, may have the supply renewed, while a. gas chamber and an escape orifice is provided for the escape of the gases to propel the boat in the.

water, and serves as a separate gas chamber into which the generated gases escape from the mixing chamber just below the deck of the boat, thereby preventing the chemicals from plugging up the exhaust orifice and interfering with the escape of the gases.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method of constructing the boat, and of introducing the propellant gas producing mixture inside of the hull to mix with the fluid or water therein for generating a gas; a novel method of permitting the resultant gases to escape through an exhaust pipe or orifice for causing the boat "to move through the water under its own power and a novel method of controlling the propellant gases from the time they are introduced into the hull until they are exhausted.

Another object of the invention is to make the hull and deck of the boat out of plastic or some light similar material in such a way that the deck when cemented onto the hull will form an air-tight chamber, with the exception of a hole in the top deck which permits introducing the propellant inside the hull and the escape orifice which permits the propelling gases to escape in a manner to force the boat through the water, and in which the entire hull forms a gas chamber permitting the boat to operate for an extended period.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a jet propelled toy boat constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is a front elevation or end view looking at the bow.

Fi ure 4. i a plan viewof h u with the deck or cover remov d! Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the plane of the line i55 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional View taken transversely on the plane of the line 66 of Figure 5, and

Figure 7 is a rear elevational or rear end view looking at the stern of the boat and showing the gas escape orifice.

Referring to the drawings in detail, in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the boat comprises a hull H), which may be of any suitable type, and is shown of the Speedster or racing type having the how i I and the stern l2 together with the bottom It. The bow or prow H is shown curving upwardly in convex formation and the stern i2 is shown extending straight and flat and extending substantially vertically but preferably at an angle slightly greater than a right angle or to the bottom l3 but it is not desired to be restricted to such form. The hull is of hollow construction and preferably made of plastic properly molded or of some light similar material with the top thereof open and designed to be closed by a deck is forming a top closure cemented onto the top rim or gunwhale iii of the hull, or otherwise suitably attached, to form an airtight interior chamber IE forming a mixing chamber. As shown, a suitable sealing joint is provided between the deck and the hull rim, the deck or cover M'being shown provided with a depending surrounding flange or rib ii spaced from the edge thereof, to fit snugly within the hull wall, as a facility in cementing or otherwise securing the deck or cover M in position and to form an air tight joint. The deck 14 may be suitably ornamented and is shown provided with a cabin l8 formed as an integral upward or vertical projection thereof and a part of the wall of deck or cover open at the bottom and forming a part of the mixing chamber I6.

The top deck I4 is shown provided with a hole or opening l9 spaced from the stern and shown of circular form designed to receive a removable plug 20 in the form of a stopper made of rubber,

cork or other suitable material, which will when inserted in the hole, acts as a seal. This plug is designed to hold a propellant effervescent substance, such as an effervescent mixture or chemical, similar to vinegar and soda, Bromo Seltzer, or any other suitable like substance which will efiervesce when brought into contact with a fluid or water and generate a gas. For this purpose, the plug 20 is hollowed out at the bottom to form a chamber 2 I, open at the small or bottom end for receiving the compacted mixture which is retained therein in relatively solid form but adapted to readily disintegrate in contact with the water. This chamber is open at the bottom in proper proportion to the volume of liquid or water therein indicated at 22, so that the entire hull forms a fluid or water containing chamber and a mixing chamber thereabove instead of restricting the gas generating means to a very small chamber which will operate only for a very short period as in devices heretofore produced. It should also be noted that the lower or small end of the plug 2|] terminates in spaced relation to the bottom |3, as indicated at 23, so as to expose the effervescent substance 24 in the open bottom chamber 2| of the plug 2|! to the water or the fluid 22 and permit the gas as generated by the mixture to bubble up through the water into the gas chamber I6, as indicated at 25. In this way, the hollow stopper is designed to hold the proper amount of chemical or effervescent mixture and acts as a measuring means therefor.

In rear of the hole H1 at the stern I2, the hull is provided with a vertical wall or baffle 26 integral with and extending up from the bottom I3 centrally of the hull and stern and formed as a projection thereof which is hollow and of any suitable shape in cross section. It is shown convex and spaced from the top of the hull as indicated at 2! to form a gas chamber 28 open at the top and closed at the bottom, except for a small exhaust or escape orifice 29 formed or drilled through the hull 2 inclined rearwardly or substantially horizontally near the bottom of the gas chamber 28, so that the gases generated in the hull can escape from the chamber I6 over the top of the gas chamber wall 26 and into said gas chamber 28 for escape through the exhaust pipe or orifice 29 into the body of water in which the boat floats, to propel or force the boat through the water. Thus, the hull is sealed except for the escape orifice 29, holding the gases inside the hull and forcing the gases to be ejected through the orifice in the rear of the boat which acts as an xhaust pipe.

Th s, the entire inside of the hull forms a chamber or container for the water or fluid 22, above which the mixing chamber I6 is provided and with the stopper or plug 20 in position holding the effervescent mixture or chemical for generating gas s by being emersed in or disposed in contact with the fluid or water 22 in which it di s, by reason of extending down into close proximity to the bottom l3 in spaced relation thereto as indicated at 23, the gases thus generated. bubb e up through the water or fluid 22 as indicated at 25, into the gas chamber Hi.

From this point, the gases escape up around the wall 26 which acts as a bafile to prevent the water or fluid from overflowing or running into the gas chamber 28 or obstructing the escape or exhaust orifice or pipe 29. The gases then escape downwardly through the chamber 28 and through the orifice 25, to act against the body of water in which the boat floats, to exert pressure thereagainst for propelling the boat through the water. By reason of the central position of the orifice 29 with respect to the hull and stem, between the sides, the travel of the boat is kept in a straight line and on an even keel. The resulting gases therefore, escape through the exhaust orifice to cause the boat to move through the water under its own power and the generation of the gases is controlled by exposing only the bottom layer of the efiervescent or chemical gas producing mixture 24 at the bottom of the chamber 2| in the stopper or seal plug 26 to said water and by having the entire hull form the water containing and gas chamber, the device will operate for a long period, especially as compared with devices as at present constructed having a relatively small gas generating chamber or in the form of a small capsule for containing the chemical and in which the gas is generated. This effectively controls the generation of the propellant gases from the time they are generated and introduced into the hull until they are exhausted by merely introducing the plug 25 into the hole H), which also provides means for renewing the supply of fluid or water 22 and the introduction of the efiervescent mixture or material by renewing or replenishing the supply in the hollow portion or chamber 2| of the plug 20. That is, the hollow plug acts as a measuring cup in measuring out the propellant to be introduced inside the hull of the boat in accordance with the volume of water held therein, and being open at the bottom, the chamber 2| in the plug 20 permits the propellant or efiervescent mixture to drop into the inside of the hull when the plug is placed in position in the hole in the top or deck of the boat, simultaneously with the sealing of the hole in order to keep the propelling gases from escaping through said hole, while the propellant is coming in contact with the water or other chemicals already placed inside the hull, thus sealing the hull immediately upon being placed in the hole and exposing the mixture or propellant inside the hull, to the water therein or to drop into the water at the interior of the hull upon being dissolved by being in contact with the water. The gases enter the gas chamber 28 through the space 21 which forms an a erture located immediate y below the cover or deck M at the stern so that the mixing chamber is efiectively separated from the gas chamber by the thin partition or wall 26 which keeps the chemica s from plugging up the exhaust orifice, retains the chemical or mixture in the gas generating or mixing chamber and provides a means of preventing loss. The interior cubic area of the hul is relatively large and the exhaust orifice relatively small, so that the gasses will escape s owly but sufilciently to give the boat the desired speed. While it is not desired to be restricted thereto, the re ative proportion of the hollow chamber in the hull and the size of the exhaust orifice are important. For instance, with the inside volume of the hull of the boat from cc. to 00., the exhaust orifice may be of .030 to .060 of an inch in diameter, so that the 5 exhausting orifice will permit the proper escape of the gases and conserve the effervescent mixture or chemical from an economical and practical point of view.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What we claim is:

l. A jet propelled boat having a hollow hull chamber, means for introducing a gas producing mixture into the hull to mix with a fluid therein and seal the hull, said hull having an escape orifice in the stern at a low level, and a baflle wall integral with the bottom and stern of the hull and forming a gas chamber communicating with the orifice, said chamber having an escape aperture at the top communicating with the interior of the mixing chamber whereby escape of the mixture of said gas producing mixture and the fluid into the orifice is prevented.

2. A jet propelled toy boat comprising a hollow hull having a top closure with an opening, a plug designed to seal said opening and having a chamber in the bottom communicating with the interior of the hull to contain an effervescent mixture for producing gas by dipping in water in the hull, a baflle at the stern of the hull terminating in spaced relation to the top closure dividing said hull into a mixing chamber and a gas chamber, said baflie being adapted to permit the gases to pass from the mixing chamber into said gas chamber while preventing liquid from passing from the mixing chamber into said gas chamber, and an exhaust passage through the stern of the hull near the bottom of said gas chamber.

3. A jet propelled toy boat comprising a hull of hollow formation open at the top, a deck closure having a sealed joint sealing the hull and forming an interior water containing and mixing chamber, said deck having a hole therein, a plug sealing said hole and having a chamber open at Ill) the bottom to dip in water in the hull for exposing an efiervescent mixture therein to said water to generate gas in the mixing chamber, a wall integral with the bottom and stern of the hull forming a gas chamber opening at the top into the mixing chamber and sealed therefrom therebelow, whereby the gases may pass from the mixing chamber into the gas chamber, and an escape orifice through the stern of the hull from the gas chamber below the water level when the boat is in the water.

4. A jet propelled toy boat having a hollow hull chamber, means for introducing a gas producing mixture into the hull to mix with a fluid therein and seal the same, said hull having an escape orifice in the stern at a low level, and a gas chamber communicating with the orifice and separated from the first mentioned chamber and fluid, said gas chamber having communication with the hull chamber near the top.

5. A jet propelled boat having a hollow hull chamber, means for introducing a gas producing mixture into the hull to mix with a fluid therein and seal the same, said hull having an escape orifice in the stern at a low level, and a hollow imperfcrate vertical balile wall integral with the bottom and stern and extending up from the bottom of the hull and forming a gas chamber communicating with the orifice and open at the top in communication with the interior of the hull chamber whereby escape of the fluid into the gas chamber is prevented and the gas discharged through the escape orifice into the water to propel the boat.

CYRIL J. YATES. ROBERT K. GIBBS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,612,794 Bender Jan. 4, 1927 1,993,670 Jones et a1 Mar. 5, 1935 2,101,646 Gordon Dec. 7, 1937 

